Use pictures that fill your slides and convey your message
Avoid clipart in almost all cases! Use actual pictures that fit your message - they have more impact. Creative Commons images are preferable to images in PowerPoint. Here are some sites where you can find images. Make sure you include appropriate credits for your images.
Pics4Learning
To credit your source, find the bibliography information and include that information on your image or on a credits slide at the end of your video.
Classroom Clipart
To credit your source, include Image Provided by Classroom Clipart on the image or on a credits slide at the end of your video.
Flickr Make sure you select Only Photos & Only search within Creative Commons-licensed content as shown. Be careful with your search terms and do not try to search for anything inappropriate - even though Safe Search is turned on you could run across something that is PG13 or above if you try - so DON'T TRY. If you find a photo you want to use click on the thumbnail to go to the Flickr page, then click on All Sizes and download the small or medium photo to your folder. To credit your source,add the URL of the Flickr page (the one where you clicked on All Sizes) to the image or to a credits slide at the end of your video.
Be creative with colors
Rotate images so they have more interest
Do not place anything too close to the edge or it might get cut off in Animoto
Less is best where Text is concerned:
No bullet points!
One idea on each slide
Remember slides go by quickly in Animoto - a few words is all you will be able to read
Use interesting, readable fonts and large font sizes
Do not place any text too close to the edge or it might get cut off in Animoto
18-40 slides in PowerPoint will create a 30-60 second video in Animoto depending on speed of song.
Remember to save your presentation when you are done in case you need to change something
Exporting PowerPoint as images
Select File and then Save As
Change the Save As File Type to *.jpg
Choose every slide in answer to the question Do you want to export every slide in the presentation or only the current slide?
This will create a folder containing all of your slides from your presentation as separate images however they will not be sorted correctly so to fix that:
Go to My Documents and then your folder
Click on the name any slide less than Slide10 and change the name to have a leading zero. For example, change Slide1.jpg to Slide01.jpg.
Select the type of video you want to create. Typically if you have 15 or less slides a 30 Second short might work but there are less options for this type of video so you might want to choose the full video option.
Select Upload From Your Computer and go to the folder containing your slide images. Select all of them at once by clicking on the first image and holding the shift key and clicking on the last image. This will put all of them into the queue for uploading.
After your images have uploaded make sure they are in the correct order. If they aren't then drag them into the correct order.
If you want to add any text, click on the slide before your text and then click the Text option at the bottom and enter your text. If you put the text in the wrong place, you can drag it to where you want it.
Click on Step #2 - Music and chose Select From Our Collection
Listen to samples of music and click the Select Option next to the track you wish to use for your video. Select something that adds to the message you are trying to convey! Note: There are a some songs with PG or PG-13 lyrics. Do not use these songs in your videos.
Click on Step #3 - Finalize. You might want to select 1/2 speed for pacing especially if you have selected a fast song - this option is only available on full length videos not 30 second shorts. Slides can go by really quickly and you want to make sure people can see & read your message!
Select one of your images to use as your cover image.
Give your video an appropriate title and description. It's a good idea to include any photo credits in the description but they should be in the video too! Use your first name only for Producer Name! Remember: NO PERSONAL INFORMATION
Create Video! You can actually end out or log off at this point and Animoto will finish your video even if you are not logged in
Make changes to your Video
To use the same song but change the way the slides are displayed:
Pick the Remix Option (icon that looks like a circular arrow)
Select One Click Remix
Give your video a new name or accept default
To change/add images or change the music:
Pick the Remix Option (icon that looks like a circular arrow)
Select Editing Remix
Repeat the steps outlined above to make changes
Make sure to give your remix a new name so you know which video is which
If you have more questions about how Animoto works, check out Animoto's FAQ.
Add Your Animoto Video to the Wiki
When your video completes or if you are logging in to Animoto to just post to the wiki, click on your video and it will show as ready to play. Once you see your video ready to play then:
Scroll down and click on the Video Toolbox under your video.
Click on the Embed option.
Click on the Advanced options and choose the Large Player Size
Click on Copy Code option under the embed code.
Go to the page where you need to post your video and click on the Edit option on the top of the page.
Add a description for your video where indicated - don't forget to delete the text with the instructions.
Position your cursor where you want to add your video and then click on the little TV icon (Widget option) on the toolbar at the top of the page.
Select the Other HTML option and paste in the code that you copied (Hint - Right Click and Paste or CTRL+V) and click Save.
When the page is redisplayed you should see a little grey box with Media. Click on the Save button. Do not select Save Draft - this does not save your page!!
Note: Watch for any messages about someone else editing the page at the same time. If you see a message like that, cancel out and edit again or you may wipe out their changes or they may wipe out yours. In a case like this, whoever saves last wins!
Creating a Video Using PowerPoint & Animoto
To credit your source, find the bibliography information and include that information on your image or on a credits slide at the end of your video.
To credit your source, include Image Provided by Classroom Clipart on the image or on a credits slide at the end of your video.
Make sure you select Only Photos & Only search within Creative Commons-licensed content as shown. Be careful with your search terms and do not try to search for anything inappropriate - even though Safe Search is turned on you could run across something that is PG13 or above if you try - so DON'T TRY. If you find a photo you want to use click on the thumbnail to go to the Flickr page, then click on All Sizes and download the small or medium photo to your folder. To credit your source,add the URL of the Flickr page (the one where you clicked on All Sizes) to the image or to a credits slide at the end of your video.
This will create a folder containing all of your slides from your presentation as separate images however they will not be sorted correctly so to fix that:
If you have more questions about how Animoto works, check out Animoto's FAQ.
Note: Watch for any messages about someone else editing the page at the same time. If you see a message like that, cancel out and edit again or you may wipe out their changes or they may wipe out yours. In a case like this, whoever saves last wins!